In the toy vehicle industry, small toy trains are often run on plastic or wooden tracks. These railway systems are designed to grow with the child. In other words, railway configurations can range from very simple ovals to complex systems incorporating bridges, buildings, tunnels, and towns. Many other accessories are available as well, such as toy figurines, bushes, shrubs, and trees to lend the system a realistic effect; playmats, playboards, and play tables on which to build a railway system; carry bags and boxes in which to store the railway system when not in use; and, storybooks, iron-ons, decals, and coloring books to further stimulate the child's imagination.
The railway configurations are built from individual track sections. The track sections range in size and shape. There are countless possibilities for individual track sections: some are straight; some feature switching mechanisms; some are curved; and, some are ascending for connection to another track positioned at a higher level. One of the most important aspects of these railway systems is that the track sections be interchangeable. Accordingly, most track sections include male and/or female connectors at opposing ends. This allows the track sections to be connected end to end in a variety of configurations. Adding to the interchangeability of the track sections is the fact that these track sections are usually reversible having rails impregnated on both sides.
In addition, designers are constantly seeking to impart realism to the toy railway systems. In order to do this, designers have sought to introduce miniature accessories that resemble their real life counterparts. For example, locomotive turntables, highway crossings, lighthouses, tunnels, engine sheds, platform stations, draw bridges, windmills, and locomotive roundhouses are but a few of the many accessories available to add realism to the toy railway systems.
In particular, designers have discovered that children enjoy playing with accessories that have moving parts and/or produce sounds. Accordingly, many of the accessories currently available include movable parts such as levers, rotational handles, lifting mechanisms, and the like. Other accessories produce sounds. These include toy tracks that are designed to reproduce the sound an actual locomotive makes as it travels on actual train tracks, and locomotive whistles.
Thus, toy designers are always seeking to improve toy railway systems by introducing novel and interesting accessories which will capture a child's imagination.